The present invention relates to an electrical connector which can accommodate memory circuit boards used as memory modules mainly in computers, and it relates to a latch-equipped electrical connector which includes a latching means that can fasten circuit boards in place thereto.
One example of a latch-equipped electrical connector is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3015081. The connector accommodates memory circuit boards which have cut-outs or recesses located in the side edges. The latch members are made of metal, and they are disposed inside cavities on inside surfaces of arms located in the vicinity of both ends of a housing. The latch members have engaging sections, which protrude in order to allow engagement along the recesses in the circuit board, and stop sections, which prevent the circuit board from slipping out; the stop sections are positioned at upper ends of the latch members. This connector suffers from two problems. The first problem concerns the reliability of the accommodation and holding of the circuit board in place. Specifically, in the connector disclosed in the abovementioned Utility Model Registration, the connector has a structure which allows flexing of the latch members even in cases where the cut-outs in the circuit board are not accurately aligned with the engaging sections of the latch members at the time of accommodation within the connector. Accordingly, there is a danger that the latch members will be deformed as a result of the cut-outs not being accurately aligned with the engaging sections so that the circuit board cannot be properly held within the connector. Furthermore, the engaging sections and stop sections are at the same location, and the engaging sections engage along the side edges of the cut-outs, so that the holding strength following accommodation within the connector is relatively weak. The second problem is the width dimension of the connector. Since the arms must be formed on the housing, the housing is relatively large; accordingly, relatively large mounting dimensions are required.
A latch-equipped connector which solves the second problem is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 9-82429. The connector disclosed therein has a long, slender housing and metal latch members which are fastened in positions near both ends of the housing. In this connector, the width dimension is small, since no arms are formed on the housing; accordingly, this connector offers the advantage of requiring a relatively small mounting area. In particular, it should be noted that since no arms are present on the housing, board-positioning members, which guide the accommodation of the circuit board and determine the accommodated position when the circuit board is accommodated within the connector, are formed as integral parts of the latch members.
In recent years, there has been a demand for a latch-equipped connector with even smaller mounting dimensions than those of the connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 9-82429. In such a connector, there is especially a need for a further reduction in dimensions in the direction of length of the latch members.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a compact latch-equipped electrical connector which allows accurate accommodation and holding of circuit boards within the connector, and which can insure stable holding of circuit boards therein.
Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a latch-equipped electrical connector for memory circuit boards which can minimize the required mounting area for the circuit boards.
The present invention is directed to a latch-equipped electrical connector which has a long, slender housing for accommodating a circuit board having side edges that include cut-outs or recesses, and metal latch members fastened in position near both ends of the housing, and which include board-engaging sections that protrude inward so as to engage with the cut-outs in the accommodated circuit board. And board-holding sections that prevent the circuit board from slipping out. The board-holding sections are positioned more toward the ends of the latch members than the board-engaging sections, and they have inclined portions that are inclined substantially inward, and board-holding portions that are positioned adjacent bottom sides of the inclined portions, and projections, which are placed at at least the height positions of upper ends of the board-holding sections, are located on upper ends of the board-engaging sections.
Furthermore, the board-holding sections have overlapping metal plates, which are constructed so that the board-holding sections are equipped with a board-holding portion extending in a substantially horizontal direction from an upper end of an inside plate, and an inclined portion extending at an inclination from an upper end of an outside plate toward the inside to a position which overlaps with the board-holding portion.
Moreover, the latch members are equipped with solder-connection sections that are fastened to a mother circuit board, board-positioning sections which determine the accommodated position of the circuit board when the circuit board is accommodated, and they are constructed so that the board-positioning sections and the solder-connection sections overlap each other.